{{Gud}}

Good news in Beep Me, though.

That's great news PC!

Congrats, PC, you almost-master, you!

Gud, I am so sorry. It's so hard in a situation like this to disentangle feelings and blame and kids and expectations and the past. It sounds as if you are doing everything you can--you guys are going to counseling, right? And, amybe I'm wrong, but it sounds as if oyur wife wants this to be YOUR problem rather than one that the two of you share responsibility for. That's awfully hard to deal with.

it's a little disheartening when a job listing for a copyeditor desperately needs a copyeditor.

Good god. I wonder if they'd react well if applicants edited the ad and sent it back to them, in lieu of a resume?

Yeah, we're going to counseling. So far it hasn't been very helpful. But we'll see, maybe things will work out.

Congratulations, P-C!

Do it!

{{{Gud}}} - I'm sorry you're having such a hellish year.

{{vw}}

Congratulations P-C, you almost Master you!

{{Gud}} Sorry to hear things don't seem to be improving with the counseling.

{{Fay}} For a rotten workplace.

Hurrah, P-C!

Job ~ma to beth's DH.

If you have a little health ~ma left over, please send it towards VA, where a friend's little boy is in hospital for the third time since Feb with pneumonia. This time, it is viral, so there will be no miraculous recovery after the antibiotics.

Sorry you're hurting, Gud. hoping for a happy casa Gudanov one day...I'd offer more if I had it, but this board is my longest committment. You could tell her the lurkers support you in e-mail.

((((Gud))))

So sorry, love. Wish I could offer practical advice, but it's all very much outside my own sphere - I can only offer my love and best wishes.

((vw))

Fuck 'em. Evidently you wouldn't have been happy with them anyway.

Speaking of whacky employment situations - the latest installment of Fay's Adventures In Teaching is a doozy.

Remember how I went and told my employer that I wouldn't be returning next year? And was honest about the fact that I was considering accepting another post here in Cairo? And that he claimed that my contract prevented me from doing that, and I assured him that the contract I signed did not contain any such clause?

Well, apparently (I've had unofficially from Senior Management) he has now found my contract, and realised that I'm right. But you know what? He never signed it. It has my signature, but he never ratified it. So his response was to send me a memo telling me that he doesn't have any signed contract with me.

ie I don't actually legally work for him.

ie there's nothing legally binding him to provide me with my salary in 2 weeks' time. And certainly nothing legally binding him to provide me with the Summer pay I'm owed, or the return ticket I've not yet been paid for.

The memo stated that he was happy to offer me a standard contract for this year, which would contain a clause preventing me from going to another school in this city next year. And that he would be happy to renew said putative contract.

Obviously I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of signing such a contract. No fucking way. Not going to happen. Which means that I kiss my Summer pay goodbye and lose out on my return flight.

But you know what? I feel really exhilerated. I'm free. I have in writing, with his signature, the assurance that there is nothing legally obliging me to do anything for the school. AND the offer of a contract. ie he can't turn around and claim that I was a terrible teacher because he's offering me a 3rd year's employment.

I've got Meara coming to town in 2 weeks, I've got my friend from Uni arriving a few days earlier - right now I'm pretty fucking tempted to just leave school at the end of May and let him just deal with writing reports, taking parents' meetings etc etc himself. I'd make DAMN sure to send copies of his memo to the parents, along with a very carefully worded letter explaining my situation to said parents.

I'm really looking forward to it all, actually. I'm going to wait until payday and see whether he gives me this month's salary. If he does - well, then I guess I'll maybe hand in the kids' reports. If he tries to pull any shit, then I am gone.

Flatmate and I received the memos yesterday. Last night we were at the British Embassy, where flatmate was playing a darts match, and we showed our mates at the Embassy the memo and the contract. They suggested we sought legal advice and told us which person at the Embassy we needed to approach. Our other mates have supplied the name of a good lawyer.

This stupid, stupid man. He is so going to regret this. Just because I've been consistently courteous and honourable in my dealings with him, and have not been aggressive and confrontational - that really, really doesn't mean that I'm intimidated by him, or loath to stand up for myself. Fuck that shit.

It's going to be fun.

I've got enough sterling in hand to be able to cover my rent over the summer, more or less. I've got the offer of another job come September. I've got the offer of paid work from them during the Summer, while they organise stuff for next year. I've got the offer of a £450 settling-in allowance, which we'll try to get up front if we can.

If the new school falls through, I'm on the next plane home. Over my cold dead fucking body am I doing ANYTHING that this man tries to pressure me into. He can suck my fucking dick.

I'm still reeling at the stupidity of him sending us this memo. It would never have crossed my mind to fuck off and (continued...)